Apparatus for the treatment of timbers



Dec. 29, 1931. 'r. w. SMITH APTARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF TIMBERS 2 sheets-sheet 1 Original Filed July 27, 1928 gwumtov v Emoamwm Sm Mv M I v a kbwag Dec. 29, 1931. r T. w. SMITH 1,838,585

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT of? TIMBERS Original Filed July 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ml I wnumnzl; gum-mg amen :00

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Patented Dec. 29, 1 931 I zmnonoim w. summon, 'innrmaroms, 'innmna, Assierronro rn'rnitciimtnxj or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA n mesisem rnmrmror winer es Original a neaaonmeam -m', 1928,- Serial in. 295,798. Dividedand this application filed se teaiter 3,1929; Seria1Ro.3 90,14;2. ,7

This invention pertains to an improved apparatus forilthe'treatment of timberswith a view of impregnatingtthe same with-preservative liquids. H

' I" here taken from the amount of liquid which they will absorb or which may be forced into the same under the like or similar conditions;

mechanically shortlived', will not only readily receive the li uid but in cases, as

where the tie is t oroughly dry and warm, will have a tendency to absorb the liquid and this without the application of pressure upon the liquid. From this. it will be seen'that mechanically good and vsolid .ties not in the ordinary course of treatment take upthe requisite amount of impregnating liquidwhereas the physically poorer tie will' take up more than is requisite for adequate protec--:

tion.

preservation of ties or'timbers a given amount ofvpreservative liquid-per cubic. foot of wood,

is required, it will therefore be "seen that where a number of'ties are impregnated at one and the same tinie 'or where the ties are individually treated and subject to the'jsainetreatment uniformity I of impregnation "does 3 not obtain due'to the physical differencesof timber above mentioned; It is,*ofz.course,ua

waste of material toover impregnate a me-l" chanically weaktie and it is: likewise'detri-" mental :to the longevityofa structurally per fect tie not to sufficiently impregnate the same. i

The apparatuses hereinafter setforth detail is designed to treattimbers', say ties, in such. a manner thatthey will begiven the desired degree or'amoun't of impregnation the same tree, as 1 well: as timbers takenfrom different trees, vary 1n physicalcharacteristics and hence vary as to with theassurance that each-andevery piece v of timber or tie will have an equal amount of. liquid forced into the same.

Stated ingeneral terms,- my method may;

be said to comprisethe following steps Placing atie within a cylinder,then pass ing anamount of liquid equal to thevolume of the empty cylinder into the cylinder in which the tie is placed, allowing the excess of liquid to flow outwardly therefrom, segregating a portion of the out-flowing liquid, which portion shall be equal to the which it isv desired shall beinjected or forced amount" into the tie to secure the necessary or specified impregnation, and finally forcing such amount into the tie.

' Stated in another way, the method may be the container, segregating a portion of the outflowing liquid,said portion bearing a fixed ratio'to the cubical content of the timber, I and thereafter forcing such segregated p01: Under the usual specifications as' to the i tion into the timber. V 1

One formof apparatus which may be employed to effect the method is shown the placed into said container,

cylinder and so rnu'ch of the; appurtenant ap paratus parts as is 'iiec'essary to carryout the method, Y

" Figure 2 a perspective view of a weir, with the cover thereof removed, which is employed for segregatinga portiomof the liquidpass ing into the cylinderwhen the tie is in place therein, V

'Fi" re 3 atop plan view ofthe weir,

Figure 4Jave-rtical sectional view of the weir, and 4 i Figure 5 "a top of the various ports.

v plan View of the weir with the cover removed showing therelationship In the drawings, 1 denotes a cylinder having removable heads or ends 2 and 3 which may be of any approved form. A single head may be employed, if desired, although where the apparatus is employed with tie presenting and removing mechanism the presence of the two heads is found advantageous.

Opening into the cylinder is a valved liquid supply pipe 4 in which is mounted a metering device 5 designed to show, the attendant when an amount of impregnating liquid equal to the known cubical content of the cylinder has passedthrough the pipe 4. The cylinder is also provided with a valved outlet, designated by 6, which opens through 'a port 7, Figures 4 and 5, into a weir denoted generally by 8.

The weir, as will'be seen, comprises a cylindrical body, the lower end of which is closed except for the ports which enter the same. Extending upwardly from therbottom 9 of the weir is a vertically disposed partition 10 and extending outwardly to the opposite sides of the. inner wall of the cylindrical body 8 are two other partitions 11. and 12. Partition 10 extends to the fullheight of the body 8 whereasthe partitionsll and 12 are lower. These three partitions form three chambers within the weir, to wit: an inlet chamber into which the port 7 opens and two measuring and discharge chambers into which the discharge ports 13 and 14 open. 1 a

Mounted within theinlet chamber of the weir is a blade or plate 15, the innermost edge whereof is rounded and fits into a rounded recess 15 formed in the vertical inner edge of the partition 10. This rounded portion of the blade extends upwardly as at 16 through the cover17 of the weir and has attached to its upper end a laterally extending finger 18, V

the outermost end whereof is bent clownwardly and carries a locking screw 19. The face of the cover below the indicator arm 18 is graduated so as to show the position of the blade or vane 15 with referenceto the inlet chamber and consequently toindicate the proportionate flow of the liquid from the inlet chamber to the outlet chambers from which the ports 13 and 14 discharge. 7

Extending inwardly from the walls 11 and 12 below the blade or vane 15 is a baffle or partition 20 which acts to prevent upward surge of the liquid as it is flowing into the weir.

Vent pipes 21 and 21 are mounted in the cover to prevent the weir from becoming trapped or air bound.

The port 14 is connected with a pipe 22 which leads to the storage tank (not shown) from which the supply of impregnating material is drawn andp'umped back as occasion requiresthrough the. intake pipe 4 and through the metering device 5.

Port 13 is interconnected with a pipe 23, which latter extends to a cylinder 24. The line 23, contains a check valve 25 opening toward the cylinder 24. A branch line 26 is interconnected with the pipe 23 intermediate the cylinder 24 and the check valve 25, said line 26 being connected to the cylinder 1. A check valve 27 is interposed in the line 26, said valve opening in the direction of the cylinder 1, or opposite to that of the check valve 25.

An air line 28 connected to any suitable source of air under pressure, and provided with a control valve 29, opens into "the cylinder 24.

A vent cook 30 is also in communication with the cylinder 24in order that the air may be allowed toescape therefrom when into the tie or timber under treatment flows from the weir into the cylinder 24.

The air entering the pipe 28 may act directly upon the upper face of the liquid contained in the cylinder 24 to force the same outwardly when desired, or it may. act upon the upper face of a piston 31 mounted therein and provided with a piston rod 32, which tends to guide and properly position the piston.

A draw-ofl' or drain cock 33 is provided for the cylinder or tank 1 and such draw-off may, of course, lead to the reservoirwhere thesupply of impregnating liquid is maintained. It is thought that the operation of the apparatus will be fully understood but it may be briefly stated as follows:

A tie being placedwithin the cylinder 1, the heads 2 and 3 thereof will be closed. Thereupon liquid to theamount of the cubical content of the cylinder will be allowed to flow through the intake pipe 4, the amount being readily ascertainable through the meter 5. An amount of the liquid equal to the cubical content of the tie will, of course, pass through the valved outlet 6 and through the weir. The wing or blade 15 of the weir will have been adjusted to such a position that the desired amount or proportion of the overflow from the tank 1 will pass from the opening 13 into-the line 23 and hence into'the cylinder 24. The remaining portion will pass through the line 22 to the storage tank.

Before starting the operation it is necessary to adjust the vane of the weir so that the requisite amount of oil to be injected into the tie or timber Will be'diverted through the pipeline 23 into cylinder 24 from which the oil can be forced through pipeline 26 into cylinder 1. g i

As will readily be appreciated, by swinging the vane 15 to one or the other side with reference to the opening 7 the amount of liquid which will pass. over the walls 11 and 12 may be determined.

outlet 6. The operator will then open the air valve in the line 28, the vent valve 30 being meanwhile closed, and air under pres-- sure will displace the liquid from the cylinder 2st and force it through the pipe 26 and past the check valve 27 into the cylinder 1 and the pressure is maintained until the rod 32 is moved inwardly to such an extent as to indicate that the amount of liquid contained within the cylinder 24 has been forced into the cylinder 1 and consequently into the timber placed therein.

From this it will be seen that irrespective of the physical nature of the timbers or ties each piece will have forced into the same, under the above operation, an equal quantity of liquid. Thus a good tie will obtain its full amount as will a poor tie, considered from its physical structure, and the latter will not be impregnated with surplus liquid, which may be looked upon as wastage when it is so applied. p g

No claim is made to, the method herein set forth as the same forms the basis of my application filed July 27, 1928, Serial Number 295,798, now Patent Number 1,7 31,4 l3, dated October 15, 1929.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for charging timber with an impregnating liquid, the combination of a cylinder; a valved inlet pipe opening into. the same; a measuring weir opening into the cylinder through a valved outlet extending from the weir, said weir being likewise provided with a waste liquid discharge and a discharge for a body of liquid for an amount determined by said weir; means for receivingsuch body of liquid; and means for forcing such liquid back into the cylinder.

2. In an apparatus for charging timber with an impregnating liquid, the combination of a cylinder adapted to contain the timber to be treated; at least one closure for the cylinder; means for introducing liquid in an amount equal to the cubical content ofthe cylinder; a device connected to the-cylinder for measuring a predeterminedquantity of liquid as the result .of the displacement of such liquid by the timber within the cylinder; and means for forcing such amount back into the cylinder. I

3. In an apparatus for charging timber with an impregnating liquid, the comb-ination of a cylinder adapted to receive the tim ber to be treated; at least one closure for'said cylinder; means for introducing liquid into said cylinder in an amount equal to the cubical discharge content thereof; ineans communicating with thecylinder for segregating a predetermined;

quantity of the liquidoutflowing fromrithez cylinder as the result: of: \the'ydisplacement' of the liquid :by reasonbfi the presence of. the timber within the cylinder; means for: adjustingsthe means aforesaid whereby the volume of the segregatedl-iquid may .besde-i termined;"and means for forcing such segregated liquid back into the cylinder.

4. In an apparatus for charging timber with an impregnating liquid, the combination of a cylinder adapted to receive the timber to be treated; at least one closure for said cylinder; a valved inletpipe communieating with the cylinder; a measuring chamber having'an opening extending into'the cylinder, a discharge opening for excess liquid and a third opening; means mounted within the chamber for varying the flow of' liquid in the'desired proportion to the waste outlet and to said third opening; means in communication with said third opening to re ceive the liquid discharged therefrom;and means for'applying pressure to said liquid to force the same back into the cylinder.

5. In an apparatus for charging timber with an impregnating liquid, the combination of a cylinder adaptedto receive the timber to be treated; means for closing the cylinder; means for introducing liquid into the cylinder in an amount equal to the cubical content thereof; a valved outflow for the liquid passing from the cylinder; a measuring chamber connected with said valved outflow, said chamber being provided with a discharge port and a third port; adjustable means mounted within the chamber controlling the outflow of the liquid through the port and the third port; a pressure. applying cylinder in communication with said third port designed to receive the liquid flowingtherefrom; a piston mounted within the cylinder above the inflow for the liquid; a conduit also communicating with said cylinder and the main cylinder; and means for applying pressure to the piston to force the liquid therefrom into themain cylinder. 1

6. In an apparatus for charging timber with an impregnating liquid, the combination of a cylinder designed to receive the timber to be treated ;means for closing the cylinder; means for introducing liquid into the cylinder a measuring chamber, said chamber having three ports or openings formed thereing upwardly from the base of the chamber an'dforming pockets into which the respective ports open, two of the walls being relatively low and standing adjacent to the inlet port; a vane mounted within a pocket formed between the lower walls; means for holding said vane in its adjusted position toward and from one or the other of said Walls; a Waste pipe connectel to one of the other ports; means for receiving liquid passing from the third port; and means for forcing the liquid from said last named means into the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have signed m name to this specification.

THEODORE W. SMITH. 

